Ideas for Educators

Active Alternative to Brainstorming

8/15/2017

Looking for an easy, novel approach to brainstorming?
How about a strategy that requires NO PREP?

If so, then Blanket the Table is for you.

Each student needs to rip up paper ( use paper from your recycling bin) into 4 pieces.
Place students in heterogeneous groups of five or six, and ask them to stand around a cleared desk.
Put two minutes on a visual timer.
Explain to the students that the goal is to brainstorm enough ideas to Blanket the Table (cover the desk top.)
When they have an idea, they say it aloud to their group, then write it on their scrap of paper and drop it on the table. We use the phrase "Say it, Write it, Drop it."
Give the students their brainstorming topic - i.e. types of animals, countries in Africa, etc. - and say "Go!" as you start the clock.
When time is up, ask the students to give their teammates a High Five or Fist bump.
At this point you can choose to have students prioritize or categorize their ideas, share their favorites aloud, or just move ahead with the lesson.

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Grouping Graph for Co-Taught Classes

8/9/2017

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One of the biggest benefits of co-teaching is the opportunity it provides to do lots of small, teacher-led instructional groups. Experts in the field suggest that 60-80% of co-taught class time should be spent in small groups. Why? Because they allow teachers to differentiate and intensify instruction, as well as allowing students more chances to participate and connect.

This school year, I am going to track the percentage of time I spend in small group instruction. Having a graph will keep me accountable to this ideal, and will provide me with additional data to analyze when looking at student growth. I have created a very simple bar graph for a 10 day cycle of instruction and would love to have you join me on this data collection journey. Print your own copy here and let me know how it goes!

small_groups_graph.pdf
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Boost Your Students' Reading Comprehension

6/26/2017

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Summer is a great time to kick back and explore some apps that might work for your students. While not every classroom has 1:1 iPads, many teachers and specialists have access to at least one iPad. If so, check out the Reading Comprehension Booster app.

This app provides a bookshelf for each student where they can store notes about the book they are reading. Notes are stored on interactive bookmarks, based on essential instructional elements identified in literacy, brain and learning research. Each booster bookmark has a variety of interactive options to tap into different ability levels and interests. Users can read or listen to directions, draw, type, drag or record responses, and much more. Children can choose from Characters, Connections, Story Seeds and other bookmarks, or use several simultaneously. They can also create their own bookmark template and share it with the class. Children can easily email their work to a parent or teacher for review and discussion.

I have also used it with a whole group while reading a book aloud. Simply project your iPad onto a screen and ask students to help you with creating bookmark notes.

All for just $3.99!

PS If you don't have a classroom iPad, find out if the student's family does - perhaps they will want to use it at home.

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Participation Trackers

6/12/2017

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There's a mantra I like to repeat when I am planning and implementing my lessons - "The person doing the talking is the person doing the learning." It reminds me that student talk is usually more valuable than teacher talk, minus a few mini-lesson minutes. Because of this goal, I am always on the hunt for simple structures that encourage and track student talk. Here is an easy-to-implement idea I saw in a Wisconsin classroom recently.

Student names were on regular-sized sticky notes. To adapt it for the secondary level, I would create a similar chart for each class, but smaller - perhaps on a piece of construction paper - and use the smaller sticky notes. That way I could still have each class posted on a wall. Another option is to create just one chart with numbers only and have each student assigned a number.

We might not get to every student in one lesson, but with creative structures like this one, we can be sure to come back to them in the next! When you set up your classroom for next school year, how will you include structures for increasing participation?

For more ideas, keep following and look for an announcement in the fall about my newest book!

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Why Doodling Will Change Your Life

5/17/2017

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Remember that boring meeting you had to sit through a few weeks ago? You probably remember being bored, but do you remember any of the content that was discussed?

Psychologist Jackie Andrade of the University of Plymouth has found a solution to this pesky problem. During your next boring meeting or *lecture, pull out a pen and paper and start doodling. Andrade’s research shows that doodlers remember more than nondoodlers, especially when learning tedious information.

Because doodling can increase retention, consider ways that you can weave it into the next class you teach or presentation you give. Provide your learners with a doodle page connected to your content, or a thinking map onto which they can add illustrations. Below is a doodle page from a unit on growth mindset.

*If you are the one that is giving the boring lecture, then find some ideas to liven it up at www.caffeinatedlearning.com or www.ideasforeducators.com.

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Don't Fight Their Need to Move!

5/6/2017

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At the Council for Exceptional Children annual conference a few weeks ago, I had a wonderful time wandering the exhibition halls. So many innovative products on display! One of my favorite booths was at the Therapro booth. It was filled with fidget items for students who need tactile or kinesthetic input (which includes many of our struggling students!) One product really caught my eye - something called Bouncy Bands. These are heavy duty rubber items that fit over the legs of a desk or chair so that students can bounce their feet while sitting. The Bouncy Bands appeared very durable and sturdy– better than my previous attempts at tying theraband or using bungee cords.

You can find out more about the various styles and sizes on their website www.therapro.com

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This Free Manipulative Will Be a Hit With Your Students

4/29/2017

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I am always on the prowl for new manipulatives I can use with my students. Hands-on learning increases student engagement and retention - both benefits that all teachers can appreciate. So for a recent economics unit, I wracked my brain for a way to add something tactile to the lessons. And then I found it! Gift Cards!

Now, don't think that I have the money to buy a bunch of gift cards for my students. Nor did I have the time to wait through the next 12 months to use up the ones I have with money on them. So instead, I went to my local grocery store customer service counter and asked if I could have some blank, no-value cards. It turns out that my grocery store (and maybe yours) recycles gift cards and had hundreds of them they were willing to give me. I then proceeded to Walmart, Starbucks and McDonalds to ask the same question - and SUCCESS! I now own dozens of gift cards from four different vendors.

Below is a photo of how I used them in the economics unit. Students were directed to choose one card of their liking, and then write on a sticky note what the opportunity cost was of their choice. They were actively engaged in discussions with their peers about the benefits of each and why they made their choices. Having the card to hold kept their interest high and their attention on the topic.

Not teaching economics? Here are some additional ideas for what to do with free gift cards:

Mark the cards with dollar amounts for math problems
Stick address labels over the backs and write vocabulary terms
Ask each student to choose one and write a story about something that happened there
Distribute cards randomly and direct students to develop persuasive arguments about why their's is the best store, restaurant, etc.
Have students develop slogans, illustrations, etc. for that business

Have an idea for how to use gift cards in you classroom? Please share so that we will all be 'richer.'

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The One Strategy Every Teacher Should Have in Their Tool Bucket

4/23/2017

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Looking for a simple way to boost students' motivation to learn? I recently read that nine research studies show that simply asking a student to write for 30 seconds about their prior knowledge of a topic resulted in them recognizing the gaps in their knowledge and increased their motivation to fill in those gaps.

Tomorrow, start your lesson by directing students to pull out some paper. Share your learning target for the day and ask students to jot down everything they know about it for 30 seconds. Then consider coming back to it at the end of the lesson and closing by asking them to add their new knowledge to the list.

A variation on this is to ask students to create a download or progress bar such as the one shown below. At the beginning of the lesson have students color in the bar based on their current confidence with the topic. Return to the download bar at mid-lesson and at the end. Even if students aren't 100% truthful with their reflection, the act of reflecting will still cause them to try to select strategies that will help them meet the goal.

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Creative Idea to Get Your Students Talking

4/17/2017

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One of the best parts of my job is the opportunity to learn from so many teachers around the country. Last week I visited several co-taught classrooms in Dearborn, Michigan. Laura Flack and Derek Borg welcomed me into their middle school language arts classroom. As well as having students with disabilities, this class also includes several English Language Learners. The teachers have found a great way to work on communication skills through the use of Family Talk cards. This award winning game is a collection of conversation starters, ranging from humorous to more serious.

Sample questions include:

If everyone in your family became dogs, what kind of dogs would they be? Why?
If you could have chosen your own first name, what would it be?

On Tuesdays and Thursdays the teachers choose a card and assign the question for homework. Students are expected to talk with their family about the question and then share the answers during class the following day. Both the students who shared and those who listened were very engaged in the conversation. What a great way to tie in family backgrounds and cultures and work on communication skills!

Thanks, Laura and Derek, for allowing me to share your idea with others!

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Spin and Spell

4/3/2017

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Spelling practice can be a chore for many students. Strategies that turn spelling practice into fun, while also strengthening the learning process, are a plus for any classroom. Twist and Spell, originally designed as a spelling activity, can be adapted to enhance math fact practice, too!

Watch the short video below to see this strategy being used as one of three hands-on approaches to spelling practice.

How to:
Purchase a package of Styrofoam coffee cups with a wide lip.

Using a black marker and a second, bold colored marker, write the letters of the alphabet around the rim of an upside down coffee cup. Mark the consonants in black and the vowels in color. Space the letters evenly around the cup.

Continue to mark cups in this fashion until you have enough for Spin and Spell. For one student, prepare six to ten cups. For a small group activity, prepare thirty cups.

Each student will need a rubber band with a paperclip hanging from it. Or, as an alternative, a cup with an arrow marked on it.

Choose a spelling word to demonstrate Twist and Spell to the students. If the word has three letters, such as in “bed”, stack three cups and twist the cups until the word is lined up.

You can also mark the letters so that the words will spell horizontally.

Variations
Twist and Spell cups can be designed to use for practicing math facts. Instead of letters, mark the numerals 0 through 9 around the cup, the operational signs and = at the end. The operational signs should be in a contrasting color.

Tip
To space your letters evenly, mark A first, then mark M and N on the opposite side. The letter G will go half way between A and M, and the letter T will go just shy of halfway between the N and A.